Book of the Week

Here's the Book of the Week As Promised!

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The Tomorrow Code by Brian Falkner
THIS REVIEW IS GUARANTEED SPOILER-FREE!
A great sci-fi set in New Zealand, this book will have you gripping the edge of your seat for the whole second half of the book. Plenty of high-density material will keep readers happy, and a thought-provoking ending will leave plenty available for discussion.

Rating: 4/5

This book was a bit of an unusual read. I'm usually not big on any book with a specific ethnic tie, and this had very heavy Maori roots. But as I plowed through the book, the ethnicity stopped being as much of an issue. I was so absorbed in the science, plot, and intensity of the book that it didn't matter what else was happening. The reason it's only 4 out of 5 is because it took me a while to get into. Otherwise it's a spectacular read.

Major Characters:

These are very basic character sketches, because too many details would break the spoiler rule.

Tane Williams

Tane is the main character in the book. He is Rebecca's best friend, and Fatboy's brother. He's quite smart, and will do a lot of what Rebecca does because he's her best friend. Throughout the course of the novel, Tane's character develops and becomes more and more relatable. By the end, you'd root for him to the bitter end. His love interest in the book is Rebecca.

Rebecca Richards

Rebecca is the other main character of the book. She is Tane's best friend, and dates Fatboy for a large portion of the book. She's smart, and has a very strong sense of right-and-wrong. She was arrested after participating in a riot/march to save the whales. She is very intelligent and uses her intelligence to solve problems throughout the book. Rebecca is very independent, and you can see that throughout the course of the book. Her love interests include Tane and Fatboy.

Harley "Fatboy" Williams

Fatboy is Tane's older brother. He was called Fatboy in elementary school not only because of his name, but because he was a little pudgier. By the time he was older, he had lost the fat and put on muscle through rugby. He's not exactly the most intelligent character, but his nobility will win you out in the end. He loves his brother tremendously, and also has a strong sense of wrong-and-right. His love interest in the book is Rebecca.

Who Should Read This?

I'd recommend this book for anybody ages 10 and older. The reason it's a bit older isn't because of mature themes or any of that, but the storyline and the science behind it can be hard to comprehend. Also, the ending is thought-provoking, and some of the gruesomeness described could be too intense for young readers.


Love ya!

An Update on my Writing

As of late, I've picked up intense writing again. Originally, I was going to do NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), but that fell through between finals and Thanksgiving and vacations. After being assigned a major project in my Honors English class, I was forced to pick up the pen once again. So that's why I'm writing.
As to what exactly I'm writing, that's... erm... kind of hard to explain. I promise that I am writing, it's just a matter of keeping my ideas close until they can flourish. But trust me, it's going to turn out great.
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A Side note on my background in writing:
I've written a full-length novel, Titled "Ever". This novel took me 3.5 years from inception to completion, and it was, to be honest, not very good. What it did teach me, however, was to write and type with precision and clarity.
I've also written multiple speeches and essays that have placed at local and state levels. I created a National History Day performance last year, which involved writing a 10-minute monologue that argued why a certain historical topic was important in history.

Love ya!

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Realizing later just how short this post is and defending myself with: "I wrote this at 11:35 PM at night thank you on a school night after spending six hours volunteering in the cold. So give me a break or two."

Book of the Week

Side Note Before I Get into This:
Sorry about not posting for a few weeks! I'm from the U.S., where we have Thanksgiving Break. Between vacations and finals, I didn't have a chance to post! Please don't hate me!!!




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Keeper of the Lost Cities: Neverseen
THIS REVIEW IS GAURANTEED SPOILER-FREE!
With all the action you'd expect from a "Keeper" novel, the fourth book in this series packs plenty of toe-curling moments and an emotional grip that'll never let you go. Plus, you'll get plenty of the three guys (Dex, Fitz, and Keefe) to keep you content for a lifetime.

Rating: 5/5

I loved this book so much! Between the twisting plot and the edge-of-your-seat suspense, you'll inevitably want to read it in one seating. With over 600 pages, there's a lot of book to love. You'll meet some new characters, and receive a few surprises about some of your favorite characters along the way. Sophie is (as always) a heroine worth fighting for, and as she picks up the pieces that fell during Everblaze, you learn even more about her.

Major Characters:

In keeping with the spoiler-free atmosphere, I'll only go into sparse details on characters. I'm leaving out two decently notable new characters only because describing them would involve spoiling...

Sophie Foster

Sophie is an elf who was raised by humans. After being discovered by Fitz, Sophie moves to the Lost Cities to stay. She is eventually adopted by Grady and Edaline Ruewen, who are friends of Fitz' parents. She has the ability to inflict pain, understand any language, and perform Telepathy (to name a few). She's a bit of a legend among telepaths, with a nearly impenetrable mind and telepathic abilities that you'd be hard-pressed to overstate. Her love interests include Fitz, Keefe, and Dex.

Fitz Vacker

The first elf (besides Sophie) that you meet in the first book is Fitz. He's described as being tall, with dark hair and teal eyes. His parents are Alden and Della Vacker, and Biana Vacker is his sister. Fitz is a telepath, one of the most talented in the elvin world. His love interests include Sophie.

Dex Diznee

Dex is an elf in Keeper of the Lost Cities. He's Sophie's best friend, and also one of her love interests. Dex is a technopath, meaning he has the ability to manipulate technology. Throughout the series, you learn a lot about Dex's personality. He's fiercely loyal, intelligent, as well as a little oblivious. His love interests include Sophie.

Keefe Sencen

Keefe is an elf (duh), as well as some of the comedic relief in Keeper of the Lost Cities. With Keefe's ever-present sense of humor, it's a shock to find out that he's constantly being pressured for perfection by his uptight parents. Keefe is an empathy (or somebody with the ability to read people's emotions). He connects really well with Silveny the Alicorn throughout the series, and is especially comfortable around Sophie as well. Fitz is his best friend, and his love interests include Sophie.

Who Should Read This?

I'd recommend this book (and the entire series) for anybody who can understand the vocabulary and themes in it. If I had to put an age limit, I would probably estimate around 8 or 9+. There's nothing really offensive, given that all the romance is innocent and sweet and there's no drugs, alcohol, or smoking. There is some bullying and intense scenes, but those add to the depth and emotional character of the book.


Love ya!

Book of the Week

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard

THIS REVIEW IS GAURANTEED SPOILER-FREE!
We get another break from Percy and his posse, but there's plenty of action and a steep-but-not-too-steep mythology learning curve. The whole premise is almost a bad joke: "What do you get when you combine a fashion-conscious dwarf, a deaf elf, a homeless demigod, and a Muslim ex-Valkyrie? Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard."

Rating: 4.5/5

I absolutely adored this book! There was enough action to keep the plot from slowing down as well as enough slow moments to keep it from coming at you too fast. The character development wasn't Rick Riordan's strongest, but there was enough substance and action to make that forgivable (for now, anyway...). The one half star off comes from a nagging similarity to Percy Jackson. Even with a major plot twist that Percy never had, it still felt like an eerie echo of a better era. But as it shakes off the chains of its predecessors, it proves itself worth standing the test of time.

Major Characters:

Magnus Chase

A homeless teenager on the streets of Boston. He is in fact, Annabeth's prodigal cousin that is mentioned in "The Blood of Olympus". He's got a good heart, but is unsure about what he feels and the things he wants to do. His sense of sarcasm is spot-on, even if his sense of humor can occasionally be lacking. He's definitely powerful, but not in the way that Percy Jackson was. He's his own character, which is important after the PTSD of "The Blood of Olympus"
Lover of Falafel.
(As a side note I personally imagine Magnus' hair fabulously shoulder-length; his flowy locks are the perfect length for a man-bun!!)

Samirah Al Abbas (A.K.A. Sam)

At the beginning of the novel, she's a Valkyrie who's dealing with the stress of being a normal high schooler as well as a Norse warrior maiden. She elects to bring Magnus to Valhalla after an incident that I won't go into because of *spoilers*. She's Muslim, which is SERIOUSLY COOL!! She's definitely a powerful woman figure, and a perfect role model for any girl. She's smart, down to earth, and has a noble heart.

Hearthstone

A deaf elf who looked after Magnus while he was on the streets. Skilled at lip-reading and sign language, as well as certain aspects of magic. He's close to Blitzen and Magnus (and eventually Sam as well). Has an unfortunate tendency to pass out (as is expressed in some hilarious chapter titles). Definitely a skilled and original character for the ages.

Blitz(en)

A fashion-conscious dwarf. He and Hearthstone looked after Magnus while he was on the street. Can read sign language (because Hearth!), and is pretty awesome. Unfortunately cannot come out into the sunlight for an extended period of time because he's a dwarf. He's a self-sacrificing character (not in that way I promise!! SPOILER FREE, Remember?!) who cares very strongly for Magnus and Hearth (and eventually Sam). Absolutely one of my favorite characters in this entire book!

Connections to the Percy Jackson/Kane Chronicles Universe

Of course, it takes place in the same world as Percy Jackson and the Kane Chronicles. (I mean, hello... Magnus CHASE?) The biggest connection is Annabeth, who is searching for Magnus at the beginning of the book. *I would put more here but SPOILERS*.


There's also a hilarious chapter title that mentions Jason Grace (because you can't not).


On a sort of related note, the hilarious chapter titles are in fact back!


You don't have to read PJO/HOO or the KC to read this, but a basic layer of knowledge on who Annabeth is (and not from the evil movies) can definitely accent his experience.

Who Should Read This?

Anybody who can understand the vernacular and basic themes in it. There's nothing really to offend, unless you find homeless people offensive (here's a secret: I don't). Of course, it's labeled for ages 8-12, but I'd suggest it for 8-80. If you're older than 80, you may get a heart attack from the intense parts of the book.

Side Note:

THIS IS NOT NORSE MYTHOLOGY LIKE THE MARVEL UNIVERSE. LOKI IS NOT HOT AND DARK HAIRED AND CARRIES A SCEPTER. HE IS NOT TOM FELTON.


Love ya!